TOEFL for UK Student Visa: Updated Status

Note: This is a news article that was published on an earlier date. The contents on this page may not hold true in present times. 

The Home Office suspended accepting ETS tests, including TOEFL exams, as evidence of English language ability from new visa applicants last year after BBC uncovered the fraud.

ETS has made the decision not to extend the Secure English-language Testing (SELT) license with the Home Office. As a result, TOEIC and TOEFL iBT testing are still not offered for UK visa-granting purposes, even after a year.

This change and suspension only affect visa applications. Since higher education institutions choose their own method of assessing English language ability, they may continue to accept TOEFL as evidence of competence in English. The requirement of TOEFL as a language proficiency test is dependent on the college. International students are advised to check with colleges directly. So your TOEFL scores may be accepted by the college, but ultimately your student visa application may get rejected.